The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Bank Actions on Criminal Calendar; Kennedy trial goes to jury

November 13, 1925 - November 20, 1925

PAGE 163

form rangers, offering big rewards and hire many detectives to hunt and fight robbers who work from the outside. I believe it’s about time something was done by the bankers of this land to get the robbers who work from within the bank. Just think, eight months elapsed before a reward was offered for the capture of Sylvester and then the reward was advanced by the state of Minnesota and the county of Wabasha."
"Just think" the attorney said, "what a man could do to change his appearance in a period of eight months. Why, he has had sufficient time to change his every means of identification and who knows if he’ll ever be found. But at least we have brought a few facts to light to show who unquestionably was partly to blame for Sylvester’s wrong doings."
November 20, 1925-

Plainview Bank Officials Enter Not Guilty Pleas
Two of Four Indicted Men Were Assistant Cashiers of Institution
A. S. Kennedy and G. A. Stoltz Plead Not Guilty in Wabasha Court
Bank Actions on Criminal Calendar to Have Statewide Interest
At the beginning of the District Court session at Wabasha on Monday, with Judge Carl Finkelnburg of Winona, presiding, the civil calendar of twenty-seven cases was placed before the criminal calendar. It was expected that the civil calendar would take about ten days. The criminal cases would be called some time next week. In the criminal cases the charges against the officers of the Plainview State Bank will have statewide interest.
G. A. Stoltz and A. S. Kennedy, assistant cashiers of the bank, appeared before the court Monday to enter their pleas. Stoltz pleaded not guilty to the three indictments against him and asked the court to appoint an attorney to represent him stating that he had no money to hire a legal representative. A rumor had reached the court that Stoltz had inherited several thousand dollars and said they would investigate his case before taking action.
Kennedy’s attorney was not present and his plea was made at the session Wednesday. His plea was not guilty to the four charges against him much to the surprise of the few who are familiar with the evidence, much of which is substantiated by his own handwriting.
November 25, 1925- clipping – Rochester Daily Bulletin.
"Get Sylvester" Foley’s motive for Man Hunt
Plainview Bank Cashier Fails to Take Stand
Thrilling Session of Court Moves to Speedy Climax as Defense Rests
Former Local Man on Trial for Fraud
Oratory Sweeps the Court Room as Counsels Plead Conviction, Freedom
Wabasha, Minn., Nov. 25 – The fate of Arthur Kennedy, former Rochester man, and assistant cashier of the closed Plainview State Bank, is in the hands of a Wabasha county jury.
In a thrilling session of district court here this morning, the case moved to a speedy climax when the state rested at 9:30 and the defense presented its case without putting Kennedy on the stand.
The decision of the defense to keep Kennedy off the stand and present its evidence solely through character witnesses was the principal surprise of the concluding session. It had been freely predicted that Kennedy would testify in his own behalf, and when the defense rested after half a dozen residents of Plainview and Wabasha county had testified as to his character, the surprise was general.
Completes Charge
It was exactly 12 o’clock when Judge Carl Finkelnberg completed his charge to the jury and ordered the 12 men to be sworn. The jury went out to dinner and then began its closed session.

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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."